Mother
by Serendipithy
Summary: Itachi sipped his cup of tea sweetened with honey, content with spending the afternoon sitting at her family's dining table. ItaSaku. Oneshot. Sequel to AHTGR.


**Title: **Mother

**Summary: **Itachi sipped his cup of tea sweetened with honey, content with spending the afternoon sitting at her family's dining table. ItaSaku. Oneshot. Sequel to AHTGR.

**A/N:** Written for the 100 themes challenge—a link to their group page is on my profile. This particular fanfiction is based on prompt #22, variation 2: "Mother."

OKAY THIS IS THE REAL SEQUEL TO AHTGR. Not a fake one that tried to be but failed and didn't get edited (cough, _Meditation Jutsu_.)

I love paws-bells, and her oneshot writing style is something to admire and be admired _for_. Hence, while I'm not saying I'm copying her, I will say that I have somewhat mimicked her writing style… incorporating my own style in too, of course. Head on over and read some of her ItaSaku if you want to read something good (though I'm sure you all have done so before, given her fame!)

**Disclaimer: **Naruto characters do not belong to me.

* * *

When Sakura first invited him to go shopping with her on an early Saturday morning, Itachi expected to be dragged through an entire day of (mild) torture.

For as long as he could remember, Konoha's shopping district had always been split up into three sub-districts: the civilian mall, the grocery/farmer's market, and the ninja section, in that order from where Sakura lived. It hadn't purposefully been arranged that way. Of course, the farmers' market had always been clustered together near the center of the village for the villagers' convenience. Since a "mall" was rare in ninja villages, there were larger buildings clustered near the farmers' market that sold clothing, jewelry, and other necessities and wants. It didn't even come close to a civilian village's shopping center, but it was still pretty busy on the weekends.

Then, there was the ninja section. As a village filled with a good portion of shinobi, traveling out of the village simply to get supplies was unreasonable. Importing them also meant losing extra funds (taxes for the village and income for the villagers), which at the time of the second Hokage, was something to avoid. As a relatively new village, it was important to be as self-sufficient as possible. The second Hokage, at the time of his instatement to the position, had therefore immediately ordered for construction to be done and ninja supplies to be supplied from _within_ the village. Some civilians, seeing the advantage for a slight monopoly on the market, took to the job and the area had thrived ever since.

While the woman he had been in a relationship with was no Yamanaka, Sakura had a natural beauty and sense of fashion that couldn't be compared to her friend. No, the slight scent of cherry blossoms he would always catch when he was close enough to her, her healthy-looking skin, and the practical but form-fitting clothes she wore were proof of this fact. The lack of makeup, perfume, and other stylish accessories that the Yamanaka girl could be seen with were absent. So while Itachi did not expect her to go around jewelry shops staring at every item, he certainly hadn't expected her to avoid clothing, jewelry, and cosmetic shops entirely.

Therefore when he met up with Sakura, he was surprised that she had immediately dragged him through nearly two-thirds of the shopping district before arriving at a quaint little medicine stall.

Of all possible shopping trips she could have taken with him, she chose a _medicine _stall? Itachi was perplexed, but he had come to learn that there was _much_ more to Sakura than meets the eye.

Their first meeting had been right after his return to Konoha, where Sakura had been assigned to give a psychological exit check-up of sorts before letting him out.

It had all started with a simple rambling notebook, as Sakura had called it, but ended in so much more. They had been dating for a little over a month now and were unconcerned about what their future might hold—they had both found each other, and from everyone else's perspectives, it would take an argument of explosive proportions to tear them apart. (And no one could ever see that happening.)

While they had simple dinner dates after missions and (for Sakura) hospital duties, they had never met up outside of their day-to-day schedules and missions. Today was the first time they had met up during their free time, and Sakura had taken the initiative to invite him out.

As they made their way into the store, Itachi could smell the strong scent of disinfectant and other unique scents permeating the room. Most were unfamiliar as he only knew basic medical procedures, so he simply watched Sakura wander familiarly around the store, inspecting a few roots and leaves from several jars located on a side shelf. Carefully gathering various ingredients into separate small bags, Sakura was about to pay for her purchase at the counter when she stopped and turned around to face him.

"Do you want anything?" she asked, pointing to a small shelf in the back left corner by the counter. "That shelf contains a few medicinal leaves, but the rest are mainly used for brewing tea. I know you enjoy green tea, but there are several other types you might want to try."

Itachi seriously considered it. His mother had recently commented on their dwindling tea supply due to his guilty addiction, and although the prices here weren't the lowest, it made for a convenient trip.

"And," Sakura added teasingly, eyes sparkling, "many of them go well with honey."

By now, he was used to her slight teasing and simply asked for suggestions on which types to purchase. Sakura was more than happy to provide insight and an expert's knowledge on the matter and, five minutes later—after she stubbornly insisted on paying, much to his displeasure—they were in front of the stall, purchases in a small grocery bag she carried.

When Sakura began walking towards the ninja section, he lightly grabbed her left elbow.

"Do you not wish to continue shopping?" Itachi inquired, one eyebrow slightly raised in question.

Sakura only smiled and shook her head.

"Itachi, did you believe that I asked you to come shopping with me so you would be like Shikamaru, who always carries around Ino's shopping bags?"

Before he could voice a response, she continued.

"I'm not that type of girl. I prefer to shop for my medical ingredients and ninja supplies over clothes and jewelry. Does that bother you?" Sakura asked, eyes displaying her mirth, already knowing the answer before he slowly shook his head in surprise. "I didn't think so."

Their next stop was a weapons shop, something both took their time in shopping. Itachi took his time examining new kunai designs though he had enough kunai at the moment, while Sakura stared at the giant battle-axes on the display window from inside the store. He smirked when she brought a bewildered shopkeeper over to the display window to ask a few questions about the material and weight of the axes. Getting permission from the shopkeeper, she took an axe down one-handedly, lifting it up and down to examine its weight before inspecting the edges of the blade more closely.

She ended up shaking her head before placing the item back on the display. They only spent a few more minutes aimlessly examining some of the items before making an exit.

Itachi looked to his girlfriend expectantly.

"Where do you wish to go next?"

Without answering, Sakura marched into the stall next door that sold scrolls.

While Itachi had nothing in the store he wished to purchase, he was perfectly happy waiting for her to finish browsing the storage scrolls. Behind the counter sat a beady-eyed, bald man, who was sweating slightly—if his shiny forehead was any indication—from the lack of air conditioning in the store, making the air inside stuffy. He decided that he would be most comfortable outside and signaled to Sakura before waiting for her to finish her business.

After selecting two different capacity storage scrolls, Itachi was visibly shocked when Sakura began haggling with the owner. The two seemed evenly matched and equally stubborn, but after a few minutes' debate, Sakura emerged from the shop with a triumphant look on her face.

Inquiring why she had bothered to haggle so viciously when she had not said anything to the lady in the medicine stall, Sakura answered, "The man inside the shop I was just arguing with is extremely stingy, if you haven't noticed by the lack of air conditioning. He enjoys his slight monopoly over certain scrolls in the village and charges high prices for some items. Whenever I need anything from his store, I always try to lower the price so that it's more reasonable. The lady in the medicine stall barely makes any money, since homemade medicine isn't as big of a demand. From experience, I know that growing your own medicine can also be a pain, especially for some of the seasonal ingredients she has stocked. If anything, I actually give her tips whenever she lets me."

Itachi kept his face carefully blank while he wondered about the enigma that was his girlfriend. Meanwhile, Sakura turned around and began walking back towards the medicine stall.

He gave her a perplexed look, to ask where they were going _this_ time, seeing that they had just come from that direction.

"Well," she answered, "I don't have anything else I have a pressing urge to buy, so I think this is all I need for today. Do you want to come to my apartment with me and introduce yourself to my parents? They've been curious about you, as they're civilians and only hear of you through your achievements. I'm sure they will be pleased to finally meet you."

Knowing how informal and impromptu the visit was, he inquired on whether it would be an inconvenience for her parents.

"I will not go if they are busy…" Seeing the expression on her face, he quickly continued, "… but I would be happy to meet your parents, if that is what you wish."

In the end, Sakura still gave him a knowing look.

"I never said it was for me, or even just for my parents. I'm asking if _you_ want to meet my parents—if _you_ don't feel like coming over, just tell me. I'm not going to question you about it."

Itachi quietly corrected her.

"I also never believed you were saying it for yourself or your parents. I may have implied it, but I meant it when I said I would be happy to meet your parents."

Giving him a smile that ended the conversation, they resumed walking towards their destination in a comfortable silence.

* * *

Unfortunately, only Sakura's mother was home by the time they arrived at her apartment. Her father, a construction worker, was called in when there was a shortage of workers working on a new extension to the Academy.

Waiting politely for her mother, Itachi looked around.

Sakura's apartment was small by his standards but was by no means crowded for their family of three. To the right of the entrance was a simple couch and television set, and behind the couch was presumably the dining table. The kitchen was separated from these rooms by a simple wall with an open doorway. Opposite the kitchen were doors leading to the bedrooms. Hearing the knife being put down, he saw Sakura's mother come out of the kitchen.

"Oh, you must be Itachi-san! My daughter has told me much about you, and I've heard about all your achievements from her," she said, smiling with an apron on, wiping her hands on a small cloth. Putting the cloth down on the dining table, she walked over to extend a hand out to him.

Shaking her hand, he replied, "Likewise, it is a pleasure to meet you Haruno-san. Sakura has mentioned you before in past conversations."

Noticing how the two had not taken off their shoes, Haruno-san exclaimed, "Ah, where are my manners? Take off your shoes and leave them near the door before joining me in the dining room. Have a seat, have a seat!"

After taking off their shoes, Haruno-san ushered her daughter and her daughter's boyfriend over to the table to sit before going back to cooking.

"I was just about done making some stew for lunch. Have you two eaten yet?"

When he and Sakura shook their heads, her mother looked delighted.

"Wonderful! Itachi-san, you must try it—it's always been Sakura's favorite!"

Unused to the warm motherly personality found in Sakura's mother, Itachi stiffly nodded before taking a seat the table, letting the nostalgia wash over him. His own mother had acted similarly to Sakura's, with the bubbly and welcoming attitude and open arms. After he had "defected" from Konoha and became a missing-nin, one thing Itachi missed the most was a place he could call home. Having some place to return to and someone there to say "welcome back" was something he had never expected to miss.

But he did. It wasn't something he thought about everything, yet there were days when he had too much time to himself and longed from someone to sit with simply for the sake of passing time. Kisame had been a strong (and oftentimes amusing) work partner, but he could never envision himself getting close to any member of the Akatsuki.

It was at this moment that Sakura interrupted his thoughts by clasping her right hand together with his left hand on the table.

"You okay?"

Concern filling her eyes, she used her right thumb to make light circles on his hand, a soothing gesture in light of his rigid posture.

It was completely understandable—he probably wasn't used to how her mother greeted him and was flooded with memories of his own mother. He might still have Sasuke, but his brother was a far cry for a replacement to a mother. To even compare the two was almost laughable. Introducing him to her mother and staying for lunch was a big part of why she invited him over—she only hoped this visit would spur him to come visit her family more often—for his own sake.

Before Itachi could formulate a response, there was a knock at the door.

"It is a messenger," he noted instead.

"Sakura dear, could you let whoever is at the door in? My hands are a bit messy from cutting up the food."

"Sure mom!"

Untangling her hand from Itachi's, Sakura opened the door to hear what the messenger had to say. The messenger gave a polite, short bow before relaying his message.

"Good morning, Haruno-san. Hokage-sama has requested that you deliver one of the medical reports that is due today. She did not receive it with the rest of the medical files this morning."

Sakura's confused look as to which medical files the messenger was referring to turned into one of recognition after a few seconds.

"Ah, you mean those! Thank you, I'll get right on that. Tell her I'll have it at her desk in a few minutes!"

After thanking her and promptly disappeared to relay the message, Sakura shut the door before turning back to face Itachi, who was beginning to get up from his seat. Hastily making her way over, Sakura stopped his movements by placing her hand lightly on his shoulder.

"I was under the impression that you would be going to meet the Hokage, Sakura. It would be rude for me to sit here when you were the one who invited me over."

Putting more pressure on the hand currently on his shoulder, he let her force him back into his seat before she spoke.

"I'm only going to my office and delivering a report to Tsunade-shishou, which shouldn't take more than a couple minutes. You're more than welcome to stay, as I doubt my mother finds you intruding." As if to emphasize her point, she called out to her mother in the kitchen, saying that she would be right back. Getting an affirmative call from the kitchen in return, Sakura turned to Itachi with an expectant look before remembering something else. "Oh, and mom, could you brew some of that tea Itachi and I just bought from the supermarket this morning? Bring the honey over too, please!"

"Sakura, it's fine. I should be making my way back. Sasuke wishes to train with me in the afternoon."

This time it was her mother who appeared from the kitchen, cleaning off a kitchen knife she had just been using.

"Nonsense! It's hardly eleven in the morning—the afternoon is hours away! You're free to sit here while my daughter goes to do whatever it is she needs to, and I've already started cooking ingredients for the stew… and I made too much for only two people," Sakura's mother said in a tone that didn't take "no" for an answer. "You can, however, help brew the tea for the three of us, Itachi-san."

Given how he was outnumbered—and by his hosts, no less—Itachi acquiesced. Satisfied, Sakura transported over to the hospital, leaving her boyfriend and mother alone in her home.

"Well then, why don't you come into the kitchen so we can get that pot of tea brewing?"

Itachi silently followed Sakura's mother into the cozy kitchen as the smell of beef stew filled the air around them. After showing him where everything needed for the tea was, Sakura's mother went back to cutting up vegetables. Moving away from the stove, Itachi carefully measured enough of the tea leaves before placing the remaining contents back in its appropriate cabinet. Meanwhile, Sakura's mother began happily chatting away to him about her daughter, saying how proud she was and how worried she was sometimes about her daughter's safety and well-being.

Feeling the need to reassure Sakura's mother, Itachi pointed out how Sakura was a medic-nin whose strength was respected by the entire village. Although she neglected to take care of her own body at times when working at the hospital (to which her mother only laughed and agreed), she was still formidable and could take care of not only herself, but others as well.

Giving a knowing look only a mother could, Sakura's mother responded by saying, "You seem to respect Sakura a great deal. Frankly, I'm surprised at how much you seem to admire her, as she says you're one of the strongest shinobi in the village. Even I have heard about the heavy sacrifices you gave to your village, and I find it admirable how humble, polite, and well-bred you have turned out to be."

She paused a bit before continuing, as if unsure of whether or not say her next words.

"Your mother would be proud."

His heart constricted with emotion as he heard words he had never expected. Most shinobi would be enthusiastic over such praise, but his situation was different. He felt warm at the praise, but it was more than that—it was a feeling that made his throat constrict, making it hard for him to respond. He always knew he fulfilled his father's harsh expectations as a child, something his little brother Sasuke always wanted. But unlike Sasuke, he was never his mother's favorite—in fact, he could never discern what his mother thought of him. Sometimes, he wondered if his mother was ever afraid of him—afraid of what he was becoming, afraid of his lack of emotions and growing power.

It had been so long since someone had praised him in a way where their tone did not belie their expectations of him. Here was a civilian woman who had only heard of his more heroic deeds that made him respected, yet who probably also knew of the horrors and darker aspects of being a shinobi from her daughter. Here was someone knowledgeable who could praise and give praise without sounding as if they _expected_ him to be able to accomplish something.

Itachi opened his mouth once he felt he could speak again.

"Thank you."

He wanted to say more, to say how much those words meant to him—to say how the way _she_ said it meant to him, but he was tongue-tied. How could he explain the depth of his emotions when he could barely grasp them himself? So all he could say were those two words, putting forth as much emotion and warmth as he could in his voice to show how much it meant to him.

It appeared as if she understood, by the compassionate and understanding look she gave him before reaching up to pat his head.

A moment of silence passed before Sakura _poofed_ back into the kitchen, taking in the scene before her, smiling at the progress made between two people she loved, and offering to carry the now-finished beef stew over to the dining room.

The moment from before was broken as Haruno-san offered the pot to her daughter, cautioning her to be careful as it was hot. Itachi carried the brewed pot of tea along with three cups and a small jar of honey over to the table.

The three spent the next hour eating and chatting—or, to be more specific, the three spent the next three hours eating while Itachi listened to the mother-daughter duo make conversation, occasionally providing his own input. When the topic of baby pictures came up, Itachi voiced his interest, leading to an embarrassed Sakura who tried her best to cover her mother's mouth.

Once the three finished the stew, Haruno-san went to clean the dishes and do the laundry as the couple continued to sit at the table. Before she left the table, however, she said that Itachi was welcome to stay for however long he wished. She added on that this also meant he could come over whenever he wished, as her daughter's boyfriend was never an intrusion on their family.

He gave a nod in understanding and thanks before she left to finish the housework.

Sakura went to get her medical text and sit comfortably on the couch. When he made a move to join her, she shooed him back to his seat, telling him to enjoy the tea and day off instead.

And that was how Sasuke found him an hour later, when it became clear that Itachi was late for the training session. When Sasuke barged in, ready to make a remark about how much Itachi prioritized his girlfriend over a _planned_ training session with him, he stopped short at the sight of his brother alone at the dining table.

At this point Sakura looked up at the intrusion from the couch, putting a finger to her lips to quiet him down.

It was something Sasuke hadn't seen in a long time: his brother had an aura of peace surrounding him, appearing more relaxed than he had in years. The lines on his face were less noticeable, and he almost looked _younger_ at that moment. When his brother turned to acknowledge him, Sasuke made up an excuse about having to meet up with Naruto instead before leaving his brother to his own devices.

Sakura caught his eye before he left, giving him a grateful smile. His brother merely nodded before returning to his own thoughts.

After Sasuke left, the peaceful silence returned to the apartment.

Sakura went back to reading her medical text.

Itachi sipped his cup of tea sweetened with honey, content with spending the afternoon sitting at her family's dining table.


End file.
